Sometimes I have my act together. Like Thanksgiving. I was pretty well organized and knew what I wanted to make way ahead of time. I had a grocery list two weeks before necessary and practically had everything timed out to the minute. Not today. I am still desperately trying to figure out what to make for our big holiday dinner in just a few days. Mom”s been mostly vegan these last couple of years days so I’m thinking we’ll have mostly vegan and vegetarian dishes, with one or two other treats, for Keith and I. So here are the contenders… Side Dishes: There’s a half ton of great vegan side dishes around the world. Many of my favorites are from back before I had figured out how to take a nice picture or write an entertaining post. However, the recipes still taste great and are worth consideration. I’ll have my mom pick one or two of these: Mediterranean Roast Veggies (Briam) [Recipe] First up is this layered casserole from our Cypriot Global Table. I love it …
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We’re taking a week to celebrate. To smile and laugh. To throw imaginary snowballs. To sing songs at the top of lungs, despite the fact that we don’t know all the lyrics. To quote Ava: “we wish you, we wish you… we … wish you…WE WISH YOU!!!” (She’s working on memorizing the rest) I’m also going to share some great Global tidbits with you throughout the week. Here’s the itinerary: Global holiday menu ideas Sneak peak of our very own Global Table Adventure reusable shopping bags (!) Global New Year’s ideas Winners of our Gingerbread for Peace competition Meanwhile, feel free to browse the interactive map filled with countries I’ve cooked. And be sure to check out our halfway video. Spread the love!
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THE SCENE: The first of two cakes. I walk up to her proudly. I carry the still-warm cake in my hands. The scent of cinnamon, and molasses fills the room. “What is it?” she asks, peering into the pan. “Gingerbread cake” I reply. “Ooh,” she says. With a quick flourish I flip the cake over onto the platter. “Should we see what it looks like?” I ask. Her eyes grow wide. “Yeah!” she says. Dramatically, I raise the pan. “What is it?” she gasps, staring at the golden rings of delicately overlapped plantains. “Plantains” I say, smiling. She recoils, like a vampire from garlic. It’s been a while since we’ve had plantains. They’re like strangers again. “It’s… it’s… bananas!” I hurriedly say, grasping to find something she can relate to. She comes closer again, looking at the buttery, sugary goodness. “Bananas!” she smiles. But I can’t lie. Not for long, anyway. I wait until the exact moment she takes a bite to correct myself. “Yes, plantains are like bananas. These are plantains.” With the food already in …
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I’m that girl who orders the same thing over and over again at restaurants. I know – not what you’d expect from someone cooking the world. But I can’t help it. I like knowing what to expect. Plus, there’s nothing worse than wasting hard-earned money on a dish that I could possibly end up hating. After all, it’s not like I can send the food back just because I don’t like it. Now, to be fair, I’m a completely different person at home. Without the burden of outrageous restaurant bills, I’m a free spirit. I play with food. Experiment. Get all MacGyver on it. If things begin to head south, I’m quick on my feet. A dash of this and a squirt of that will usually bring the meal back into edible form. I rarely make the same thing, the same way, twice. Well, today we’re revisiting Jollof – a dish we made a few months ago with such success that I thought I’d make another popular variation for Liberia, a country that loves Jollof as much as any …
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Welcome to my weakness. The mango. If you’ve been paying attention, you may have noticed I make a lot of recipes with this heavenly fruit. Quite possibly I’ve made more mango recipes than anything else. Everything about the mango is perfect. Sweet. Golden. Juicy. And, right now, totally in season. So, go find one (or five hundred). Rain or shine. In Liberia they like to chop them up and cook them with cloves. About four cloves will give the mango an alluring, but not overpowering flavor – reminiscent of pie filling. If the mangoes are perfectly ripe, they don’t even need sugar. Otherwise, a spoonful should do you. Cook for just ten minutes and serve this as-good-as-pie-filling with a big dollop of whipped cream. The whipped cream melts just a little from the heat of the snuggly-warm mangoes… Good luck sharing this with anyone else. I ate the whole thing by myself. Ava was napping. Keith was working. And I, … well, I have no regrets. Here’s how you do it: Serves 1-2 Ingredients: 2 cups …
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I did it. I made two desserts for Liberia. And I smiled the entire time. How could I not? I was in a good mood. Just look at this kid. Look at her. She’s an angel for goodness sakes. Plus, I’m pretty sure angels only eat sweets. That’s what she’d have me believe, anyway. As for the Jollof – we tried a vegan version and loved it so much that I put together this meat-lovers variation. What sounds good to you?* Smoked Ham & Green Bean Jollof This is big time comfort food. A large pot of rice seasoned with tomatos, cinnamon, cayenne, garlic and ginger, then cooked with smoked ham and green beans. Traditionally served with hard-boiled eggs. Plantain Gingerbread Upside Down Cake Warm, sweet gingerbread cake – perfect for teatime, dessert, or anything in between. The plantain is arranged in concentric circles on top of ooey gooey brown sugar and butter. The cake makes a dazzling display at any holiday spread or potluck. Warm Mangoes with Cloves I prefer to cook for other people, but …
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My feet might as well be jingle bells and my smiles made of gingerbread. I’m feeling the holiday spirit. I made cookies. There are parties to attend – dresses to wear – gløgg to drink. I even mailed out our holiday letter yesterday – one of my favorite traditions because it slows me down enough to reflect on the last year. Complete with family portrait, the entire project becomes a time stamp in an otherwise chaotic life, perfect to share with our dear family who all live so far away. In the midst of all this wintery merriment, the time also came to explore the food of Liberia, a country on the coast of West Africa known for her hot, tropical weather. A place where, as Anthony Bourdain says, “a puff of air is an event.” I wondered, hope against hope, if there is some food Liberians might like that would be remotely “holiday” themed. I was in luck. For those of you who know a bit of Liberia’s history, perhaps this won’t seem so …
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THE SCENE I sink into the couch, tired from cooking all day. Malky makes tight circles on my lap, looking for a place to settle. I weigh my options. An entire espresso machine is out of the question. I only need to froth hot milk, for goodness sakes. No need to be extravagant. The clock ticks past 4:30 p.m. There isn’t time to shop around for one of those fancy, battery-operated, milk-frothing wands either. The closest store is too far away. And, if I am going to get pictures of these lattes before nightfall, I need to make the tea within the next 45 minutes. Malky finally settles into my lap, purring. Too distracted to pet him, I pick up the phone. I stare at the black screen a moment, before waking it up and dialing. Two rings and he answers. “Keith,” I say, ” I need you to stop by the coffee shop on your way home. I ran out of time and it’s almost dark” “What do you need?” he asks. “A giant cup …
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I find that Mr. Not-as-Picky, Keith – even with all his progress on the adventure – can still be rather fussy about food that looks soft and mushy. Especially if he has to eat it with his fingers. If you ask me, some of the best food is soft and mushy – mashed potatoes being the prime example. So I’ll you what I told him. Papa, a stiff white porridge from Lesotho, is not that unusual. Especially if you eat grits for a living, which – apparently – many people do, here in the south. The best way to approximate Papa is by simply taking grits – the white ones – and make them a bit thicker than usual. When you’re done whisking, whisking, whisking, you’ll have a beautiful, scoopable papa – not unlike polenta in texture. It looks soft and mushy, but in fact, this papa is rather solid once cooled. Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 1/2 cup white grits 1 1/4-1 1/2 cups stock (your preference) salt Method: Bring stock to boil. Stream in grits, …
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Today I’m partnering with your mother. It’s cold outside. Let’s all bundle up in our favorite fuzzy-wild-animal-looking hoodies. Let’s wear face masks and giant mittens. And let’s definitely eat our vegetables. Lots and lots of veggies. Today’s recipe is inspired by moroko, a dish enjoyed in the African country, Lesotho. Typically, Moroko is made with onions and greens, sauteed in oil with a bit of broth, not unlike the Kale (Sukuma Wiki) we made recently for Kenya. Moroko can be made with any dark greens you’d like, such as kale, spinach, chard, or mustard greens. Optionally, beans or potatoes can be added. But I have a secret – the most wonderful mash around is when you add mustard greens to potatoes. And this mash, inspired by Lesotho, is what we’re serving up today. Turns out this is the mashed potatoes your mother always dreamed you would eat. Loaded with nutrients. And really, really green. Serves 2-4 Ingredients: 1 bunch mustard greens, chopped finely 3 fairly large russet potatoes, peeled and roughly cubed stock, as needed – I used …
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Friends, it’s time. Let’s have a tea party. Cabin fever is setting in. Bring out your favorite dishes and your fancy hats. Shake things up. Wear those shoes you never wear and paint your fingernails red, red, red. Or, if you’d rather, we can do it in our PJ’s, fuzzy slippers and robes.* As for what we’ll drink? I haven’t been this excited about a new tea since I had my first “London Fog” which, for the uninitiated, is Earl Grey tea made with half steamed milk. (It literally makes my toes curl). Today, however, I bring you something even more fantastic – from the Southern hemisphere – the Red Rooibos Latte. Or the Red Love Latte, as I’ve come to call it. This is the hot drink of choice in the big-city coffee shops of Lesotho and South Africa. Of course they just call it a Red Rooibos Latte or Red Latte. I even like the idea of calling it a Rooibos Fog. The friendly baristas brew Rooibos tea very, very strong – they actually have …
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